Building Attachment Between Caregivers and Children in Residential Care Settings
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Abstract
This qualitative study, using the grounded theory methodology, had two objectives: first, to study the motivation to become a caregiver in residential care settings; and second, to study the process of building attachment between caregivers and children. The key informants included 20 caregivers working in the registered and licensed overnight-stay residential care settings. The study results found that the motivation to become caregivers stemmed not from a single factor but from a combination of multidimensional factors, including the need for income and reliable employee benefits, adherence to religious beliefs based on love and empathy, harmlessness, and the desire for children to be happy. According to the caregivers, they could work continuously and smoothly because the roles of childcare and family care could be seamlessly merged, along with their wish to observe the children's development and be a part of their lives. The attachment between caregivers and children was achieved through trust building, which included continuity of care, horizontal relationships, acceptance of each child’s unique differences, physical and emotional responsiveness, and the creation of consistent routines and relational familiarity. The roles of caregivers in residential care settings that foster attachment involve developing a parental identity through shared experiences with the children and providing holistic and compassionate care. Self-adaptability, lifelong learning, and the development of mental security are also key concepts.
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